When you receive this edition, I hope you will have enjoyed one of the annual events of our British community: the celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth´s Birthday organized by the British Society and held at the British Centre. Full coverage and photos will be included in our next edition.

Thanks to the Extended Program, we have already assisted more than 250 elderly people while also improving the situation of the acceptable institutions that shelter them. One such institution is the Casa Madre Teodora dos Idosos, a care home for the elderly.

Once the project is up and running, many opportunities are expected to present themselves to the team. “Next, we intend to search for partners interested in expanding the project across town. We hope to become a consultancy for social and sportive initiatives focused on rugby and its immense formative potential. We know very well the difference it can make in people’s lives and in building their character, because we all are what we are today thanks to rugby and its values.”

Compared with other basic human needs, the purpose of sleep had remained elusive until the explosion of scientific discoveries over the past 20 years. Research has now proved the importance of dreaming (always one of my interests) as a means to mollify painful memories and to inspire creativity and wellbeing.

good night’s sleep is one of the best natural restoratives to most of us. Sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet or regular physical activity. Some people, however, cannot enjoy the benefits adequately: they suffer from sleep disorders.

The Charm of the oldies returns with a new CD, ‘On Air’ with songs from 1963 to 65. All the songs were originally performed in pubs in 1960 and some of them had never been recorded. A selection of blues, rock and country, a sample of their twenty albums or more, for fans and newcomers. No need to say who they are!

To resume the history of Caerleon: Aurelius continued to abuse his authority as governor relentlessly until the vassal king Athrwys decided to ‘stop the rot’ and end the widespread civil unrest by marching into Caerleon with his own troops during the following year (527 A.D.), where he defeated and killed Aurelius on the spot. It was Athrwys’ 9th of his 12 battles and all of them were victorious according to the Welsh historian Nennius.

In his Philosophy of Civilization Doctor Schweitzer summarized by saying: “A man is ethical when life, as such, is sacred to him; that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help”.

Despite being an educator for almost 20 years, when asked to write this piece for the newsletter, I must admit I had no idea where to start. What is it that will interest the school community the most? Should I talk about where education will be a few years from now or do people want to hear about the latest trends?

The Instituto Anglicano (Anglican Institute) is the philanthropic arm of the Cathedral which runs creches to take care of underprivileged children while their mothers go out to work. There are four creches in the city of São Paulo and, more recently, another four have been opened in the interior of the state, associated with the Anglican Churches in Botucatu and São Manoel.

The São Paulo Garden Club presents its 79th Annual Flower Show “Contos do Amor de Todo o Mundo” at the Brazilian British Centre, Rua Ferreira de Araújo, 741, Pinheiros, São Paulo SP. By kind permission of the Cultura Inglesa.

We had our normal fun Churrasco on the 28th April this year. It was a great success with 130 guests attending the event, which was an excellent turnout considering it took place during an extended public holiday weekend.

The British Society has a dedicated team of welfare professionals who focus on assisting community members in their own homes as well as supporting members who reside in residential homes. An important change relating to the care of our elderly members took place during March, when the residents who lived at the Lar Elite moved to a new home, Cora Residential in Campo Belo. Details of this change are covered in the article by Alison Steel on page 4.

British Society São Paulo

The British Society São Paulo provides support for British citizens who are proven to be eligible for assistance. Over the years many people have benefited from the care and the educational, medical, financial or other aid provided by the institution that was founded in 1940 by British citizens resident in São Paulo. A group of Committee members carefully and compassionately considers each application, at all times ensuring the highest levels of privacy and confidentiality.